Potato-harvester.



No. 648,466. Patented May I', |900.

C..S. NASH.

PTATO HARVESTER.

(Application led June 20, 1899.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet -2.

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Patented May'l, |900.

l c. s. NASH. POTATU HARVESTER.

rAppncation med June 2o, 1899*) (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

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` UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

r y CORYDON S. NASH, OF NEWARK, NEW' JERSEY.

POTATO-HARVESTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 648,466, dated May 1, 1900.

Application filed June 20, 1899. Serial No. 721,228. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom, t map/concern:

Be it known that I, CoRYDoN S. N ASH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newark, in the county of Essex, State of New Jersey,v have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Potato-Harvesters, of which the following is a specication, reference be-` ing had therein to the accompanying drawings, in which- Y Figure 1 is a side elevation of my machine; Fig. l, a detail plan of a modified form of the uprooting-bar; Fig. 1b, a cross-section thereof on line mw; Fig. 1,, a transverse section on line 'y y of Fig. la; Fig. 1d, a detail view, on reduced scale, of the forward end of themachine, showing a modified arrangement of the steering and gage wheel; Fig. 2, a plan view of the machine; Fig. 3, a vertical section of the vine-pulling devices; Fig. 4, a transverse section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3; Fig. 5, a detail plan of the forward ends of several of the inclined bars of the puller; Fig. 6, a plan View of the uproting devices, the supportinghanger being shown in section; and Fig. 7, a detail transverse section of one of the pressure-bars The object of the invention is to provide simple devices which will uproot the vines without disturbing the tubers and deliver the vines to one sido, out of the `way of theadvancing machine, gathering devices being arranged behind the vine-puller to Agather the buried potatoes and convey them to suitable devices which separate the soil and other for-` eign matter and deliver the cleansed potatoes into a sack or other receptacleready for the market, whereby no man ual handling of the crop is required to completely harvest it.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, l designates the main frame of the machine, which is preferably constructed of two longitudinal side beams connected by a suitable number of transverse beams and upon which is erected a suitable number of vertical posts 2 to support the boards composing the body orbox. (Shownin dotted linesinFig.1.) The frame is supported about midway its length upon the transverse axle 3, which carries suitable transporting traction-wheels, and attached to the front of the frame is a suitable clevis orother device 4, to which is to be attached the draft-team. Between the mainV beams is supported an endless-screen elevator 5, which is supported VVat its lower forward end, below the main frame, as near to the surface ofthe ground as it is practicable, upon a roller 6 and at its upperrear end upon suitable sprocket-wheels 7, carried by shaft 8, journaled in the rear posts of the frame, said elevator being provided at its edges with suit-- able sprocket-chains engaging said sprocket 7 and suitable sprockets 9 at the ends of said roller 6. Said elevator is caused to travel upward and rearward by means of a sprocketchain 10, connecting a sprocket-wheel 11, on the end of shaft 8, to a sprocket 12, carried by stub 13, journaled upon the side of the main frame and carrying agear 14E, meshing with a spur-gear l5, carried by the main axle, said elevator being thereby caused to travel continuously as the machine moves forward. The elevator is constructed of a suitable openwork material, sov that the potatoes will be screened of dirt and stones and other debris as they are carried upward and rearward, and suitable transverse bars or strips 16 are fastened to the elevator at suitable intervals to carry up the potatoes, said bars or strips being constructed of wire or other open-work that will permit the passage of soil and stones, but will prevent the potatoes rolling down off thelower end of the elevator.

The machine is provided with two sets of vine-pulling and potato-gathering plows, one set being supported on either side of the machine, whereby it is adapted to harvest two rows of potatoes at once; but it is evident that a greater or less number may be employed without departing from the spirit of the invention. The vine-pulling devices are peculiar in that they serve to automatically pull up the vines without disturbing the po` tatoes, leaving the latter undisturbed in the earth to be scooped up with the adjacent earth and emptied into the screen elevator, the uprooted vines being dropped od to one side, out of the way of the scoop or plow. The scoop or plow consists simplyof a channel or trough 17, suitably ianged and supported by arms 1S or otherwise at a suitable depth to scoop up all the potatoes in the hill and the surrounding earth, the forward lower-edge being provided with sharpened cutting-iingers 19 to facilitate entrance into the earth,

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.forward. l y Thevine-puller tially horizontal and are separated from eachL drawn along the lower. bars'20 willslide along' on the surface of the hill andthe stalks of the and. the fscoop is inclined upward and rear-` ward, and its .upper end bends inward .to a

point over the elevator, so that the scoopedup soil and tubers will bedelivered tol theV elevator continuously as the machine moves p consists, essentially,'of a series of parallel substantially-horizontal bars 20, attached at Vtheir rear ends to a transverse rod 2l, which is supported at` the surface of .the earth at-a point infront of the scoop or plow by ahanger 22, depending from the forl ward end ofthe frame and projectingforward. Thel rod 2l is curved transversely, and the bars'20 are arranged on a similar transverse curve, so that theyinay run upon the curved surface of the hill, all the bars being in con-V tact with the earth. The bars are substanother a sufficient distance to receive between them the stemsof the plants. Attached tothe forward end of each bar or rod 2.0 is an upper l* rod 23, which inclines upward and rearward I and curves to one side away from the main` i 25 lframe and the/scoop.- These inclined rods y are parallel throughout theiry length and are supported at a suitable point by vertical rods 24, these rodsbein g attached to brackets 25, The forwardvend or dull-pointed in the manner of the finger of an ordinanyc'utter-bar, so that the stalks of the plants will not'be mutilated, but will be directed into the spaces between the bars.

It will be observedthat as the machine is plants will enter the spaces between the bars.

The bars should be so spaced that the stalks can onlypass in between themby some compression upon their opposite sides at apoint v serve as guides and compel the plants to pass., up the inclined bars', Ithe roots being pulled v e upfrom the earth through the pressure-bars l 20. As each vine is uprooted and clears bars` near the earth, this compressing action servking to bitel or grasp the stalks vand -fornl notches or indentations of sufficient depth to 2O it remains stationary until the nextsucceeding vine passes up the same or an adjacent channel and abuts against and forces it farther up, the succeeding vinesl being thereby caused to force the preceding vin-es up- Vward. and outward from between the bars, the vines falling to one side out of the way of the scoop. `The rods are supported .as rigidly as is possible; but it is evident that they will yield slightlylaterally when the stalks l'pass in between them, thereby-graspingv the stalks ,withl a slightly-yielding pressure, which will prevent a too great crushing actionA on the stalks, which would bruise or 'crush the stalks and render it diicultftov uproot them. It l will'be observed that 'during the uprooting action the pressure-bars hold down the earth adjacent tothe stalks and prevent the tubers `'being disturbed, this being feasible'byreason of the comparatively-tender roots or tendrils connecting. the tubers to the plant-root.

The lifting-rods 2,3 are each preferably angular in shape, as shown most clearly in Fig. 7, their rounded `side edges 26 serving to groove or indentthe plant-stalk, `and to more positively groove or indent the stalk 'the side edges26 are bulgedorenlarged slightly near the points of the rod,` so as to increase the depth of the indentation as the plantstalks pass vbetween the, lenlargements and before they begin to ascend.` The forward ends of rods 2O are attached to the forward ends of rods 23v by being fastened" in sockets in the under sides of said rods 23,- as shown at 28 in Fig. 3. v-Each rod 20 is preferablyV provided on its underside with a knife 29, which ts and is secured in al groove in said rod, as shownin Fig. 7, and tapers lforwardly,where .byany branches that may spring from the main stalks at points belowthe surface of the ground Awill be, trimm'ed off as the machine proceeds.-

The cleaned and screened potatoes are emptied bythe elevator'into a chute 30, which directs them into a bag 3l, supported upon brackets 32, carried at`the extreme rear end vof the machine.. The bagis further supported upon 'a platform 33, slidinglysupported between the ends of the main beams, saidl sliding connection consisting of a suitable tlange or rib 3l, carried by the sides of the'platform and working in suitable grooves -formed in the inner sides ofthe main beams.

' The apparatusmay besteered by any suitable` means. As-shownin.Figs.,-l and 2, a flanged guide-wheel 59 is supported in a fork 60, j ournaled in a vertical recess in the frame at the rear of the transporting-wheels, the upper ends ofthe fork being provided .with an arm 61,;projectin'g rearwardly and connected to cords 62,'which run on pulleys to the forward part of the machine and are wound upon a vertical shaft 63, journaled upon the front ofthe machine near the drivers seat, whereby the driver may readily s teer the machine without leavingfhisseat. If it be found that the preponderance of weight be in front of the axle, as is likelyto be the case, the guide-wheel may be supported at a suitable point inv front of the transportingwheels, preferably at a point inl front of the scoops and midway between thesame, the guide-wheel being numbered and the operating-shaft 64.-, as shown in Fig. ld. This latter steering'device is vpreferable not only because it avoids "the connecting-cords, but also because the wheelv is made to serve as a gage to determine' the depth at which the scoops shall run and also to prevent the vinepulling devices from delving into the ground.

Instead of rounding or conve'xing the side edges of the uprooting-bars 23 theyv may be grooved along either edge, as shown at 58 in Figs. 1b and 1c, whereby they will more certainly engage and form guide grooves or lOO IIC

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notches in the stalks without cutting or crushing the same. As is shown in Figs. 1a and lb, the bars 23 may be divided centrally to form two members 57, which will yield slightly, and thereby resiliently but firmly grasp the stalks.

It will be observed that my invention is not limited to the details of construction described and shown, and I therefore reserve the right to vary such construction without departing from the spirit of the claims or the invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what -I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a potatodgger, the combination of a transporting-frame, means for uprooting the vines as the machine advances, and a series of rods for continuously pressing on the earth adjacent to the vine being pulled, said rods carrying a series of knives tapering forward and projecting from the lower sides of the rods.

2. In a potato-digger, the combination of a transporting-frame,avine-pulling device,and a series of rods adapted to press upon the earth progressively as the machine advances,-

said rods being arranged in a transverse curve so as to fit over the hill and slide along end- Wise on the earth. j

3. In'a potato-digger, the combination of a frame and devices for transporting it, a vineuprooting device consisting of a series of upward-inclined bars adapted to engage and clasp the vines and lift them progressively,

and means for pressing upon the earth 'adjacent to the vines progressively.

4. In a potato-harvester, the combination of a frame and devices for transporting it, a vine-puller consisting of a series of upwardprojecting, separated bars adapted to press upon the earth progressively, and a series of upward-inclined barsfconnected to the forward ends of said pressure-bars, these inclined bars being separated and adapted to grasp and indent the vine-stalks, for the purpose set forth.

5. The combination of a frame and transporting means, a vine-puller carried thereby, consisting of a series of forward-projecting separated bars, a series of separated bars connected-thereto'at their forward ends and inelining upward and backward and curved latl of a frame carrying a vine-puller consisting of devices for pressing upon the earth progressively as the machine advances and devices for uprooting the Vin'es progressively, said latter devices consisting' of separated upward-inclined rods whose adjacent faces are provided with projections or bulges 27, as and for the purposes set forth.

S. A tine for vine-pulling forks having a longitudinal groove formed in each of its side edges, substantially as and for the purpose s et forth.

9. A tine for vine-pulling forks having a 'pointed head and being divided at the rear of said head to form two longitudinal yielding bars, for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature, in the presence of two witnesses this 16th day of June, 1899.

. CORYDON S. NASH.

Witnesses: v

ROBERT SIMMONDs, MYRON H. CLARK. 

